How to Train Your Dragon Trailer Fails Its First Test

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 2, 2009

howtotrain-header

There’s a pun here somewhere. I just can’t find it. Perhaps it is something along the lines of, “perhaps Dreamworks Animation should learn how to make a good animated movie” before they tackle the dragon training. Or, “perhaps they should stop assembling voice casts with names that are hot and concentrate on character.” I’m not sure. They both seem to work, so you take your pick.

Yahoo Movies has splayed out the first trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, the next animated adventure from Dreamworks Animation. And at first glance, I can’t see much here to be excited about. Just when we thought Dreamworks was coming around last year with Kung Fu Panda, they go and drop Jay Baruchel’s all-too-recognizable voice into the story of a boy who just wants to be a real viking warrior. And in order to do so, he has to befriend a dragon, engaging in a friendship that could ultimately turn the tides for his entire homeland forever.

And therein lies the difference between Dreamworks and Pixar. The former seems content with regurgitating the same ‘hero’s journey’ storylines and the same base-level animation, never adding much spice to the mix (the obvious exception being the aforementioned Panda). The latter, the dynamic and ever-escalating leader in the animated feature realm, continues to tell new, fresh stories and delight us with their ability to make story and character priority one, all while dazzling us with their far superior visual aptitude. It is easy to see why one has a following and the other is playing second fiddle.

How to Train Your Dragon is in theaters March 26, 2010. Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig and T.J. Miller voice the film, directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The trailer is below for your inspection.

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Chris

don't be so quick to dismiss it and stick it next to pixar the "golden child" like everyone always does, big woop, so they are not pixar. They make movies that kids enjoy, and that is what matters! Also, they have about HALF the time to animate that a pixar animator gets per shot, and the animation still looks awesome... "base-level animation" my ass.

zorgworgy

I agree...the story lines are not as imaginative as Pixar...but then I reckon they are targeting a very young market..
OneFrameAtATime

Guest

These thoughts sound a lot like what people were saying just before Kung Fu Panda came out too. "Oh no, the recognizable Jack Black is voicing the Panda." A lot of people enjoyed that so why not wait until this movie is released before you completely disregard it.

blkbandit

looks and sounds very cheap. poorly animated, terrible lighting, and the story seems lame. also kung fu panda doesnt hold up a year later. its another turb from the crap factory that dreamworks represents

mel

well i love it and so will my kidz some people are just a***holes why click on it then.

kidgalactus

This is Chris Sanders' first movie since Lilo and Stitch. I hate those DreamWorks movies too, but if you're too hasty to judge this one this one, you're probably going to find yourself eating some crow in March

Nunya

Hyper-critical much?

Kangaroo Be Stoned

I will be seeing this. I do prefer Dreamworks to the over-fellated Pixar.

anonymous

So far it looks like a good movie, but I wish that they would change the name to something else because the only thing it has nothing in common with the book other than the names of the people.

How to Train Your Dragon Trailer Fails Its First Test

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